Fire in microwave

My hubby put something in the microwave that had an inner wrapping of foil. There was a fire in the microwave and now it won't turn on. Nothing seems to be melted, just scorched. We cleaned it and now there is no scorch smell inside. Could it be the fuse?

1 Suggested Answer

Hi,
a 6ya expert can help you resolve that issue over the phone in a minute or two.
Best thing about this new service is that you are never placed on hold and get to talk to real repairmen in the US.
the service is completely free and covers almost anything you can think of.(from cars to computers, handyman, and even drones)
click here to download the app (for users in the US for now) and get all the help you need.Goodluck!

Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.

Maybe. The presence of metallic material (foil, stainless steel silverware, etc.) in an operating microwave oven creates electric arcs between the foil and the inside wall of the oven. And this can destroy the electric components.

Yes it is safe to continue using the Microwave as long as the integrity of the glass is not compromised and the pitted marks do not exceed 1/4 inch. The RFwave generated by the magnetron is a pretty wide RF wave beam.

If your really concerned you can take the unit to any appliance service center and ask that they perform an RF leakage test. There is really no other way to know if your leakage is within acceptable limits. I can tell you from personal experience that the ony microwave I ever saw demonstrated excessive leakage had either been dropped and had hinge or latch damage.

If your really worried about it and can not get to a service center you can do this test:
- Wrap a tall empty glass with a sheet of aluminum foil and place it about 3 inches away from the microwave in front of the area you where noticed the pitting.
- Run the microwave with a GLASS filled with water of equal size for 1 minute.
- Stand back 3 to 4 feet and watch for any signs of a spark on the aluminum foil.
- As soon as the microwave shuts off check the dry foil wrapped glass for any signs of heat.

Hi- The first thing here is safety. If the power supply is good- 120v at outlet- then address the fuse in the cabinet. Open door, remove screw(s) holding control panel, and tilt out panel. Fuse should be visible. Check for continuity. If bad, replace with 15amp appliance fuse. Plug in and check for operation. If fuse blows again, unplug and start looking at a new microwave. Let me know if this info helps. Have more if needed- Thanks- Ed

You should always put a spoon in a cup of liquid that you heat in a microwave oven.The microwave with a potato wrapped in tin foil is like operating the oven with nothing in it! If the microwave was spotlessly clean then your in trouble.1 put a cup of cold water in the microwave and set for 5 minutes. if the water boils then your lucky if it cold then go and buy a new microwave and stop your childs allowance for a fortnight.One might ask the question how old is your child and should they be using such a machine unsupervised!

hi my name is mark, the flashing you see is because something inside the oven cavity has acted as an antenna and all the microwave energy is going to ground. check for foil. if inside of oven is really dirty it could cause problems. if you cant find problem easily the oven will need to be disassembed. replacemant my be easier.

If you put metal, like an alluminium foil into microwave, the magnetron will start arching, and you will damage magnetron, diode or capacitor.

Test the high voltage capacitor,
the rectifier diode.or the magnetron. If all this are fine, test the control board.

The diode and capacitors can br tested. The capacitor must be allowed
discharge before testing, or you risk to get electrocuted, even if
power is off. Capacitors can get discharged by shorting their two
contacts.
Replace the magnetron if the checks and all of the high voltage component tests are good, but the unit still does not heat.

All locations, and description of this parts can be located using the diagram here: Counter top.

Parts must be tested to find out what is wrong.

Remember that microwaves are potentially dangerous devices if not repaired properly, the job must be done by a competent person.
A microwave energy leakage test must always be performed when the oven is serviced for any reason.